AS A LIFESTYLE JOURNALIST, one of my job hazards includes having to interview celebrities. I say job hazard because it’s not always what late-night talk shows depict celebrity interviews to be like. It can get cold and impersonal. Sometimes you don’t get to converse with a human being. Sometimes, you’re talking to a walking PR machine, spewing practised key PR messages.
Fuzhou-born local actor Xu Bin is an exception to this. There is a very down-to-earth quality about his charisma. At our cover shoot, you can see in his eyes the playful young man, but also the seasoned actor. He’s done a ton of shoots like this one, but you can’t deny his appreciation for his career and how far he’s come even as the spotlight bears down on him.
Just as a library is a multitude of stories, the 34-year-old has lived a very storied life. He left his native Fuzhou at a young age to study in Singapore. His first brush with stardom came in talent competition programme Campus Superstar, but it was in 2012 and 2013 that he really burst into the scene, getting noticed for his performance as Oscar Yang in Gonna Make It and Zhong Junliang in Don’t Stop Believin’, the latter of which earned him his first Star Award for Favourite Male Character. Today, he’s also starring in a new role: that of father to his two children, Ethan and Elyse.
But what does it take to be Xu Bin? We study the spirit of the thespian that he embodies, and the guile and grit which has pushed him to the upper stratosphere of our local entertainment industry.
Congratulations on another strong showing at this year’s Star Awards, including getting on the Top 10 Most Popular Male Artistes list for the fifth time in 10 years. How does it feel?
Denne historien er fra Issue 189-utgaven av August Man SG.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra Issue 189-utgaven av August Man SG.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
How Does A Hotel Brand Become The Best In The World?
Cristiano Rinaldi, president of Capella Hotel Group, shares its recipe for success.
The Future Will Be Pixelated, Probably
What are the implications on one's lived experience as online life is rife with meaning and possibilities?
PARADISE FOUD
It's time to give tuning out its due. We all need a break from the group chat(s).
Sunday Island Mornings
An island cluster so beautiful that Harry Winston made a watch in its honour.
A Clear Vision Of The Future
With the proliferation of its Myopia Centres, local eyecare brand W Optics is keeping Singaporeans clear-sighted for the future.
MAKING INVESTING MORE DELICIOUS
FINANCE INDUSTRY VETERAN WALTER DE OUDE IS COMBINING HIS ERUDITION AND EXPERIENCE WITH THE STAR POWER OF HENRY GOLDING TO BRING US AN INVESTMENT PLATFORM THAT'S MUCH SWEETER THAN MOST.
THE MAN OF MANY TASTES
On the opening day of his longgestating contemporary Italian restaurant Le Pristine in Singapore, the Esteemed chef Sergio Herman gives us a poignant account of why his philosophy of gastronomy is fundamentally inclusive.
BAPTISM BY FIRE
Dave Pynt, Chef-Owner of the Burnt Ends Hospitality Group, reflects on the universally resounding success of the eponymous restaurant as well as the recently released book of the same name.
VROOM VROOM
One of the most memorable moments of the recently concluded Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2024 was when Jack Daniel's and McLaren linked arms.
FORGED IN RED
The Streamliner Flyback Chronograph Cortina Limited Edition brings H. Moser & Cie and Cortina Watch together in a bold, exclusive creation for the ages.
